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Ransomware is gaining at a fast pace over the past few years. Studies have shown that ransomware makes up around 40% of the spam emails in the year 2016 and now is a $1 Billion industry. Below are some of the the things consumers and businesses can take to help protect against ransomware.

Majority of ransomware is delivered via email where hackers attack malware to the email as attachment. Once the end user open the attachment, the virus will take over the computer and allow the attacker is use the computer. In most cases emails are subjected as invoices, tracking ID or request for money. In other cases, they are simply addressed to a name as a subject in hopes that end user will open them since it’s addressed to a specific name.

Always create backup of all devices independent of the operation system. Some users believe Apple devices are immune to any hacks but KeRanger malware is specifically targeting Max OS X operating system.

Make sure all devices such as smartphones, desktops are set to receive automatic updates on regular basis.

Disable document macros in emails and programs like word, excel etc. According to recent reports, document macros are becoming common method of infecting users.

Some people strongly believe that they will never be hacked but studies have shown that everyone is at risk including both consumers and businesses. Therefore, it is crucial to take necessary steps to mitigate these attacks.

The National Crime Agency has disclosed that the Dridex malware has swiped up from UK bank accounts to GBP20m, while global losses may have already hit $100m.

One of many alleged hackers on the other side of the assault, Andrey Ghinkul, has been detained, along with a sizable ball of the botnet has been now been taken down.

“Our investigation is ongoing and we anticipate additional arrests to made.” The Dridex malware is set on a computer by means of a macro. It is generally a Microsoft Office one.

The NCA in the UK is, in addition, working with the FBI in America. Its Executive Assistant Director Robert Anderson said: “We encourage all web users to take action and upgrade your operating system. The malware is also called Cridex and Bugat.

In the first part of our series on mistakes you should avoid while hiring and dealing with a web hosting company, we spoke of the hype that some companies create and how you should always take a formal route that can be tracked during complaints and troubleshooting. In the second part of our series, we shall look into many more mistakes that companies usually commit while dealing with a webhost.

You should always have a detailed proposal and a plan in fine print with all the terms and conditions from your web hosting company. A plan cannot be the bullet points or the small box highlighting the unique selling points of the company. A plan must detail every feature, every service and all the terms and conditions that govern those services. Every aspect of web hosting must be included and explained in the fine print. You cannot simply sign up with a webhost based on the price they charge and the four basic features of hosting a website. There are details about the servers that you must know, security features, what kind of hosting they offer, facilities of content management system, control panel, migration of site, emails, encryptions and everything that constitutes web hosting. Unless you have all these details at your disposal and compare different web hosting companies on the very same criteria, you cannot come to an inference and choose to hire a certain webhost.

You should always try and have a dedicated rep of the web hosting company working on your account. That rep or technician can be managing many other accounts but if you have a single point of contact whom you get to know over time, then you will notice that troubleshooting and getting your concerns addressed will take much less time. The moment you start getting routed through the generic customer service protocol and keep bumping around from one desk to another, your entire purpose of getting the concern resolved will meet a futile end. You would either not get the resolution you want or would spend hours before you get it. In business, you cannot waste a single minute and it is thus necessary to have a dedicate customer service rep or technician at your service.

You must never sign up for a long term contract with a web hosting company. A month to month contract is the best strategy if you are hiring a very reasonable web hosting company. If the webhost is of immense repute then a six months up to a year is the maximum you should go for.